Dental instrument

ABSTRACT

A stainless steel, scissors-like dental instrument having opposed egg-shaped padded members engageable on opposite sides to grasp a cast metal or porcelain crown for seating and removal during try in and cementation procedures. The scissors-like instrument includes finger loops and a latch which holds the opposed members tightly in place.

United States Patent Linder Aug. 12, 1975 [54] DENTAL INSTRUMENT 3,043,008 7/1962 Barishman 32/40 R [76] Inventor: John E. Linder, 5039 Winding Branch Dr Atlanta, Ga, 30333 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock [22] Filed ec 0 1973 Attorney, Agent, or FirmPatrick F. Henry [21] Appl. No.: 423,511 ABSTRACT [52] U S Cl 32/41, 32/62 A stainless steel, scissors-like dental instrument having [51] In} .Cl A6, 11/02 pp gg p padded members engageable on 58 Fieid /41 61 62 opposite sides to grasp a cast metal or porcelain crown for seating and removal during try in and cementation [56] References Cited procedures. The scissors-like instrument includes finger loops and a latch which holds the opposed mem- UNITED STATES PATENTS hers tightly in place l,628,499 5/1927 Joesch 32/62 2,674,800 4/1954 Osborn et al, 32/62 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED Am: I 2 1915 3, 898,738

DENTAL INSTRUMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Medical and surgical instruments and dental instruments.

2. Description of the Prior Art The following patents are noted:

l.l77,7(J6 1,158,872

The above-noted patents disclose instruments having to do with handling dental crowns and similar items. However, none discloses the particular arrangement disclosed in this application and especially in that none of the above devices is a scissors-like arrangement which may be held in one hand with a finger and thumb in a scissors opening to operate opposed members to latch and unlatch against a crown. The dentist must position and try a crown to determine its fit and proper occlusal relationship. If the crown fits well it is very difficult to remove in order to cement permanently to place. At present there is no instrument available to grasp the crown in order to remove. Additionally, crowns are generally placed in position during cementation with a thumb and forefinger. This becomes very difficult when working in the most posterior reaches of the mouth. None of the prior art devices provides such a simple, expedient tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a simple and expedient dental instrument which may be held and operated by the fingers of one hand to grasp a dental crown or the like and hold it firmly on the end of the tool during the fitting and cementation process whereafter the crown is readily released.

Another object of this invention is to provide a scissors-like tool which is actuated by the fingers of one hand to latch and unlatch crown engaging members on opposite sides of a dental crown. The tool may also include a latching and unlatching means which is operable by manipulating the scissors.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular shape and inclination of the end of the scissors which carries the crown engaging members so that positioning in the mouth is facilitated.

Another advantage of the present invention is found in the arrangement of the small, concave crown engaging members which are provided with a soft cushion material such as polyethylene plastic and the like.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the dental instrument.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the crown engaging end of the dental instrument shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view taken substantially along lines 3-3 in FIG. 1 of the latching and unlatching means.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the instrument shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Y The instrument shown in FIG. 1 is a scissors desigparticularly 5 nated generally by reference numeral 10 and compris ing a pair of scissors handles l2, 14 each integrally formed with a scissors arm member 16, 18 which are tive scissors arm. The respective ends 26, 28 of each of the scissors arms 16, 18 are tapered and curved inwardly into small inwardly facing tips 30, 32, respectively, each having attached thereto a crown engaging pad member 34, 36, each respectively faced with a cushion member 38, 40 which may be a small pad of polyethyelene plastic glued or otherwise attached over the exposed surface of each respective pad 34, 36.

With reference to the elevation view in FIG. 4, it is noted that the ends 26, 28 of the respective scissors arms 16, 18 incline upwardly from the longitudinal position of the arms 16, 18 which places the opposed tips 30, 32 and the pads 34, 36 outwardly and above the pivot 20.

The scissors 10 is provided near the handles l2, 14 with a latching means designated generally by reference numeral 44 and comprising an integrally formed protrusion 46 from one scissors arm 16 and a similar protrusion 48 from the other scissors arm 18. Each protrusion 46, 48 is provided with a plurality of serrations 50 and with the serrations 50 on the member 46 facing upwardly and the serrations 50 on the member 48 facing downwardly so that the respective serrations will engage in different positions when the plane of the arms 16, 18 is bent slightly by pressure from the thumb and forefinger of the hand to either separate the latching members 46, 48 or engage same. Thus, when a dental crown is firmly engaged between the pads 38, 40, as for example in the position of FIG. 1, then slight pressure may be used to latch the latching means 44 to hold the dental crown temporarily in position while it is being manipulated and fitted in the mouth of the patient.

While I have shown and described a particular preferred embodiment of this invention this is by way of illustration and does not constitute the only form of the invention since various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, additions, changes and departures may be made in the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of my invention as defined only by an interpretation of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. In a dental instrument for grasping a dental crown and the like which has a shape and surface similar to a tooth:

a. a scissors comprising a pair of movable members each having a tip opposed to and spaced from the other,

b. manually operated scissors handles on the respective members on said instrument for moving the tips of said members towards or away from each other selectively to grasp or release a crown and the like therebetween,

c. and a small cushioned and contoured pad affixed to each tip in opposed relationship on said tips, said pads being shaped to fit the opposite exterior of a crown and the like, whereby a dental crown and the like may be grasped by pressure on said handles from the hands causing said movable members to close said pads on said crown and the like and be held in place, during fitting and cementing.

2. The device claimed in claim 1, wherein portions of each member is inclined upwardly so that the tips of the instrument incline upwardly.

3. The device in claim 1, wherein said pads are curved and have a cushioned face thereon.

scissors handles so as to latch or unlatch the scissors when the pads are tightly positioned about a dental crown.

6. The device claimed in claim 1, wherein the tips of said members are curved outwardly and thence inwardly as well as upwardly thereby creating an upwardly extending pair of opposed tips defining a space in which a crown is clamped.

7. The device in claim 1, wherein said instrument is a scissors having the handles on each movable member which are opened and closed by manipulating the members, said members being inclined at the tips and curved outwardly and thence inwardly. 

1. In a dental instrument for grasping a dental crown and the like which has a shape and surface similar to a tooth: a. a scissors comprising a pair of movable members each having a tip opposed to and spaced from the other, b. manually operated scissors handles on the respective members on said instrument for moving the tips of said members towards or away from each other selectively to grasp or release a crown and the like therebetween, c. and a small cushioned and contoured pad affixed to each tip in opposed relationship on said tips, said pads being shaped to fit the opposite exterior of a crown and the like, whereby a dental crown and the like may be grasped by pressure on said handles from the hands causing said movable members to close said pads on said crown and the like and be held in place during fitting and cementing.
 2. The device claimed in claim 1, wherein portions of each member is inclined upwardly so that the tips of the instrument incline upwardly.
 3. The device in claim 1, wherein said pads are curved and have a cushioned face thereon.
 4. The device in claim 1 wherein there is a latching means for the members.
 5. The device claimed in claim 4, wherein said latching means comprises a pair of overlying projections on said scissors and there being notches on said projections which are interengaged by manipulation of the scissors handles so as to latch or unlatch the scissors when the pads are tightly positioned about a dental crown.
 6. The device claimed in claim 1, wherein the tips of said members are curved outwardly and thence inwardly as well as upwardly thereby creating an upwardly extending pair of opposed tips defining a space in which a crown is clamped.
 7. The device in claim 1, wherein said instrument is a scissors having the handles on each movable member which are opened and closed by manipulating the members, said members being Inclined at the tips and curved outwardly and thence inwardly. 